Feeding apparatus for continuous and cut forms



Oct. 5, 1965 R. N. EICHORN 3,209,973

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS AND CUT FORMS Filed Nov. 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2

INVENTOR ROBERT N. ElCHORN AGENT Oct. 5, 1965 EICHQRN 3,209,973

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS AND OUT FORMS Filed NOV. 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 67- i I 64 E O L :L 63 /e1 HIHIHHH F FEEDING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS AND CUT FORMS Filed Nov. 5, 1962 R. N. EICHORN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 5, 1965 0 6 7 7 6 7 4| 6 7 r m 6 l" j 4 5 L o s 0 while} qv O 1 o Q 0 o n o .0 o o o o o 5 A A 7 0 o o o n o o o o o O r\ FIG. 6

FIG. 7

United States Patent 3,209,973 FEEDING APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS AND CUT FORMS Robert N. Eichorn, Endicott, N.Y., assiguor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 235,437 2 Claims. (Cl. 226-74) This invention relates to apparatus for feeding continuous and out forms and more particularly to continuous forms and card carrier belts.

Conventional continuous paper forms are generally contained in a hopper folded over onthemselves and from the hopper they are fed past a printing station of a printing machine by form feeding tractors which engage carrier holes along both edges of the forms. Individual card forms, such as machine processable tabulating cards, are generally handled in a continuous web form so that they can similarly be tractor fed past a print station after which the cards have to be burst apart and severed from their feed hole carrier strips which are connected to the side edges of the card forms.

As a result, printing machines are provided with a standard form feeding tractor arrangement which is presently capable of handling only the conventional type continuous forms or card webs having the feed hole carrier strips along their side edges. There are times, however, when it is advantageous and desirable to be able to process through a printing machine, or the like, individual precut forms or cards, and continuous forms or webs which do not have the conventional feed holes arranged along their side edges, such as continuous forms having feed holes which extend laterally across.

There exists, then, the need for a form feeding apparatus having a high degree of flexibility and one which is capable of being easily interchanged with the present conventional form feeding tractor drives. In fulfilling this need, it was found that through the use of carrier belts which could be fed by the form feeding tractors the desired flexibility could be obtained simply by using the tractors to feed conventional forms in the manner that they always have and by using the same tractors to feed special carrier belts which in turn are provided with suitable gripping means or pin feed means for engaging nonconventional continuous forms and out forms or cards. The carrier belts are of the endlesstype and are provided with feed holes along both edges which engage the form feeding tractors.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a pair of endless belts are tractor fed and disposed transversely on the belts are rows of chads or pins which engage rows of feed holes disposed transversely across the continuous forms. In another embodiment, a single wide endless belt is tractor fed and rows of chad grippers are arranged along the belt in two columns to enable the feeding of two streams of cards or cut forms. In still another embodiment, three endless belts are arranged to enable the side by side feeding of both cards and continuous forms.

In all three embodiments the same conventional tractor arragnement is used and the interchangeability of the system allows for the handling of conventional and nonconventional continuous paper and card forms, cut forms and cut cards, envelopes, or any intermixture thereof. The belt transport of individual cut cards will permit accurate in-line punching and make the cards available for immediate distribution due to the elimination of the presently required bursting operation for continuous card forms. Also, all card edges will be smooth since no bursting is required and there are no ice feed hole carrier strips to be severed from the sides, such as in continuous card forms.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved feeding apparatus which is capable of feeding conventional and nonconventional continuous paper and card forms, cut forms and cut cards, envelopes, or any intermixture thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a forms feeding apparatus provided with interchangeable carrier belts whereby a highly flexible forms feed arrangement is obtained.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide interchangeable tractor fed carrier belts which are provided with suitable means for engaging continuous forms and cut forms.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view diagrammatically showing an arrangement embodying a pair of tractor driven carrier belts feeding a nonconventional continuous form.

FIG. 2 is a side view diagrammatically showing the arrangement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing a conventional tractor forms feed driving a carrier belt.

FIG. 4 is a plan view diagrammatically showing an arrangement embodying a wide tractor driven carrier belt feeding a double stream of cards.

FIG. 5 is a side view diagrammatically showing the arrangement of 'FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view diagrammatically showing an arrangement embodying three tractor driven carrier belts feeding both a stream of cards and a continuous form.

FIG. 7 is a side view diagrammatically showing the arrangement of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 3, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional tractor forms feed which may be used to drive either the conventional continuous forms or the carrier belts a predetermined distance inorder for printing or the like to take place on the form. The tractor contains a housing 11 which is generally supported on the machine by a support bar 12 extending through the opening 13 so as to slidably support the tractor. drive shaft 14' which is in turn adapted to slide on a support bar (not shown) extending into the shaft. hollow rotatable drive shaft 14' carries a sprocket gear 16. Another sprocket gear 18 is mounted for rotation on a shaft and bearing arrangement 19, The sprocket gears are provided with sprocket teeth- 20 which engage and drive an endless chain 21'. The endlesschain is composed of interconnecting links 22 and pin carrying,

links 24 pivotally connected by pins 23. The pin carrying links 24. contain a bracket 26 for supporting pins 30. The pins 30 contain a cylindrical portion 32 for driving the forms and belts. The pins 30 terminate in av spherical head 34 so as to make it. easier to enter and withdraw from a perforation. Fixed to the'top of housing 11 is a guide bed 36 over which the continuous forms" and carrier belts pass. The top of housing 11 also. forms The tractor is also supported on a hollow rotatable The ginal edges of the perforations by the pins, yet permit the passage of the forms or belt. A carrier belt is shown at 40 which contains a plurality of equally spaced perforations 4-2 in the .marginal edges so that they are adapted to be engaged by the pins 30. The perforations and pins are spaced according to the desired alignment for printing and the like. The carrier belt 40 is shown provided with a row of laterally disposed feed pins 44 attached thereon and adapted to engage suitable feed holes disposed in the continuous forms to be fed by the carrier belt.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown one embodiment of the present invention wherein a pair of endless belts are tractor fed and disposed transversely on the belts are rows of feed pins which engage rows of feed holes disposed transversely across the continuous forms. The continuous form 50 shown in FIG. 1 is of the nonconventional type wherein spaced rows of feed holes 51 extend transversely across the form. In the case of multiply fo-rms suitable chad fasteners 52 are alternately disposed with the feed holes to hold the individual sheets together. Spaced between the rows of feed holes and chad fasteners are rows of holes 53 disposed transversely across the form. Alternate holes are used as feed holes and the holes in between are used when splicing forms together.

As shown in FIG. 2, the continuous forms 50 are fed from a Zig-zag folded stack up through a print station 54 by means of a lower endless carrier belt 55 and an upper endless carrier belt 56. The carrier belts are preferably made of Mylar material and have suitably fastened thereon rows of feed pins 57 disposed transversely across the belts and which engage the feed holes 51 in the continuous forms 50. Each carrier belt is provided with equally spaced feed holes 58 extending along each marginal edge and which are engaged by the pins 59 f the forms feeding tractors 60. Each carrier belt is mounted .between an associated idler roll 61 and a pair of the tractors 60 which are in alignment with the feed holes along each marginal edge of the carrier belt. The tractors 60 are of the type above described and shown in FIG. 3 and they are driven by suitable connections with the printing machine. From the upper belt 56 the forms would pass out of the top of the printer and on to a cuttersorter device to be stacked as cut forms.

It will be noted that the use of carrier belts makes it possible to handle various widths of the continuous forms 50 without adjusting or changing the position of the tractors 60.

With the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, if it is desired to feed conventional for-Ins having the marginal feed perforations the carrier belts are simply removed and the conventional forms threaded directly onto the tractors 60.

Another arrangement shown in FIGS. 4 and makes use of a single wide carrier belt 62 which is tractor fed through the marginal perforations 63 and which is provided with rows of chad grippers 64 arranged along the belt in two columns to enable the feeding of two streams of cut forms or cards 65. As shown in FIG. 5, the single carrier belt 62 is mounted between the two idler rolls 61 and is threaded on the same arrangement of forms feeding tractors '60 that was employed in the arrangement shown in FIG. 2. The double stream of cards 65 are fed by a suitable pair of card feed units onto the belt where the chad grippers 64 engage the pairs of cards and carry them in alignment past the print station 54. From the belt the cards may be fed to a punch unit 67 where punched information can be entered after which they are deposited in a suitable stacker 68.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, another arrangement is shown illustrating a double stream operation using both cards and forms. The cards 69 are shown being fed by a conventional card feed unit onto a single carrierbelt 70 which is provided with transverse rows of chad grippers 71 which engage the cards and carry them past the print station 54. A single row of feed perforations 72 along the left margin of belt 70 is threaded on two of the forms feeding tractors 60. The same tractor arrangement is used as was used in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, with belt 70 extending between the idler rolls 61. From the belt 70, the cards may be stacked in a suitable stacker 73. Simultaneously with the feeding of the cards, a continuous form 74 having transverse rows of pin feed perforations 75 is also fed past the print station 54 by a pair of endless belts 76, 77 which are provided with transverse rows of feed pins 78 to engage the perforations 75 in the form. A single row of feed perforations 79 along the right marginal edge of each of the belts 76, 77 is engaged by an associated one of the other two pin feed tractors 60. From the belt 77 the forms are stripped off and passed on to a suitable cuttersorter device. This type of dual operation is advantageous in that it will permit printing and punching cards on one stream and printing on a paper form on the other stream.

There has been clearly shown the great interchangeability that can be obtained by the use of the present tractor feed and carrier belt arrangement.

The same basic tractor feed arrangement is used in all cases to drive interchangeable carrier belts of different sizes or configurations and in this manner out forms and continuous forms of varying widths may be handled singly or in combination. And if desired, the carrier belts may be removed and conventional continuous forms fed directly by the tractors. Such a flexible arrangement finds many useful applications in data processing systems.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: l. An apparatus for feeding continuous'forms and out forms concurrently past a work station which comprises,

successive pairs of forms feeding tractors having driving pins which are adapted to project into longitudinal marginal edge perforations of continuous forms to feed same past said work station,

a first pair of tractors being disposed to feed forms into said work station and a second pair of tractors being disposed to feed forms out of said work station,

idler rolls associated with said pairs of tractors,

first and second interchangeable endless carrier belts, said first belt being mounted between one tractor of said first pair of tractors and its associated idler roll and said second belt being mounted between one tractor of said second pair of tractors and its associated idler roll,

said first and second carrier belts having longitudinal marginal perforations along one edge which are engaged by the driving pins of said tractors whereby said carrier belts may be driven,

a plurality of spaced rows of protruding elements carried by each of said carrier belts,

each row of elements extending laterally across its associated belt and adapted to engage and drive continuous forms deposited on said first and second belts past said work station,

a third interchangeable endless carrier belt mounted between said idler rolls and on the other tractors of said first and second pair of tractors,

said third carrier belt having longitudinal marginal perforations along one edge which are engaged by the driving pins of said tractors whereby said third belt may be driven, and

a plurality of spaced rows of protruding elements carried by said third carrier belt,

each row of elements in said third belt extending laterally across same and adapted to engage and drive cut forms deposited on said carrier belt past said work station.

2. An apparatus for feeding continuous forms provided with transverse rows of pin feed holes and cut forms concurrently past a work station which comprises,

successive pairs of forms feeding tractors having driving pins which are adapted to project into l0ngitu dinal margin-a1 edge perforations of continuous forms to feed same past said Work station,

a first pair of tractors being disposed to feed forms into said work station and a second pair of tractors being disposed to feed forms out of said work station,

idler rolls associated with said pairs of tractors,

first and second interchangeable endless carrier belts, said first belt being mounted between one tractor of said first pair of tractors and its associated idler roll and said second belt being mounted between one tractor of said second pair of tractors and its associated idler roll,

said first and second carrier belts having longitudinal marginal perforations along one edge which are engaged by the driving pins of said tractors whereby said carrier belts may be driven,

a plurality of spaced rows of feed pins carried by each of said carrier belts,

each row of feed pins extending laterally across its associated belt and adapted to engage the Pin feed holes in continuous forms deposited on said first and second belts to feed same past said work station,

a third interchangeable endless carrier belt mounted between said idler rolls and on the other tractors of said first and second pair of tractors so that said third belt is parallel with said first and second belts,

said third carrier belt having longitudinal marginal perforations along one edge Which are engaged by the driving pins of said tractors whereby said third belt may be driven in synchronism with said first and second belts, and

a plurality of spaced rows of chad grippers carried by said third carrier belt,

each row of grippers in said third belt extending laterally across same and adapted to engage and drive cut forms deposited on said carrier belt past said work station concurrently with the feeding of said continuous forms past said work station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 986,753 3/11 Plummer 198184 1,107,372 8/14 Smith 22674 2,682,334 6/54 Thompson et al 198-203 3,015,425 1/62 Wicklund 22674 3,136,466 6/64 Antonucci 226 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,000,171 10/51 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CONTINUOUS FORMS AND CUT FORMS CONCURRENTLY PAST A WORK STATION WHICH COMPRISES, SUCCESSIVE PAIRS OF FORMS FEEDING TRACTORS HAVING DRIVING PINS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO PROJECT INTO LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL EDGE PERFORATIONS OF CONTINUOUS FORMS TO FEED SAME PAST SAID WORK STATION, A FIRST PAIR OF TRACTORS BEING DISPOSED TO FEED FORMS INTO SAID WORK STATION AND A SECOND PAIR OF TRACTORS BEING DISPOSED TO FEED FORMS OUT OF SAID WORK STATION, IDLER ROLLS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PAIRS OF TRACTORS, FIRST AND SECOND INTERCHANGEABLE ENDLESS CARRIER BELTS, SAID FIRST BELT BEING MOUNTED BETWEEN ONE TRACTOR OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF TRACTORS AND ITS ASSOCIATED IDLER ROLL AND SAID SECOND BELT BEING MOUNTED BETWEEN ONE TRACTOR OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF TRACTORS AND ITS ASSOCIATED IDLER ROLL, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CARRIER BELTS HAVING LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL PERFORATIONS ALONG ONE EDGE WHICH ARE ENGAGED BY THE DRIVING PINS OF SAID TRACTORS WHEREBY SAID CARRIER BELTS MAY BE DRIVEN, A PLURALITY OF SPACED ROWS OF PROTRUDING ELEMENTS CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID CARRIER BELTS, EACH ROW OF ELEMENTS EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS ITS ASSOCIATED BELT AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND DRIVE CONTINUOUS FORMS DEPOSITED ON SAID FIRST AND SECOND BELTS PAST SAID WORK STATION, A THIRD INTERCHANGEABLE ENDLESS CARRIER BELT MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID IDLER ROLLS AND ON THE OTHER TRACTORS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIR OF TRACTORS, SAID THIRD CARRIER BELT HAVING LONGITUDINAL MARGINAL PERFORATIONS ALONG ONE EDGE WHICH ATE ENGAGED BY THE DRIVING PINS OF SAID TRACTORS WHEREBY SAID THIRD BELT MAY BE DRIVEN, AND A PLURALITTY OF SPACED ROWS OF PROTRUDING ELEMENTS CARRIED BY SAID THIRD BELT, EACH ROW OF ELEMENTS IN SAID THIRD BELT EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS SAME AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND DRIVE CUT FORMS DEPOSITED ON SAID CARRIER BELT PAST SAID WORK STATION. 